The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 149

118. The Drive Hunt (2)

“I rejected Kromen’s offer, as you instructed,” Miliana said, greeting Caryl as he returned from the airship that evening.

“Good. What did he offer in exchange for peace?”

“Azure Forest. If you hadn’t suggested it first, I might have been tempted, to be honest. How did you know?”

Caryl smirked. “I didn’t know; I just predicted it. But is that all? There must have been something else.”

Miliana looked at Caryl curiously. “Did you sneak a peek at Tyren’s notes? How did you know? Are you even human?”

“I’m perfectly human, so stop talking nonsense and tell me what happened.” Caryl said, taking off his dusty cloak and hanging it in the corner.

“Besides offering Azure Forest, Tyren also presented a written oath, imbued with magic.”

“Really? Do you remember the paper he used? Was it old, or did it have a special mark drawn on the upper left corner?”

“Hmm? No. It was just parchment.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t seem to be a Language Oath [a magically binding vow].”

Caryl nodded. ‘He must have created the oath himself… If that’s the case, Tyren must have risen to the ranks of a mage as well.’ In his past life, he was extraordinary enough to become the Empire’s Chancellor, so his magical talent wasn’t negligible.

Although his image as a chancellor overshadowed his magical abilities, Tyren, having reached the 6th Class [a high rank for a mage], was quite capable.

“So?” Caryl prompted.

“He knows Digon’s weaknesses well.”

“The oasis?”

Miliana gave a bitter smile. “That’s right. He mentioned Azure Forest first, but then he offered us land in the southwest.”

“Kromen’s land.” Caryl immediately understood the proposal.

“The Emperor wouldn’t have sanctioned that, but it’s not impossible. It’s barren land where no one lives, and Kromen can’t manage the territory anyway.”

‘Still, it’s one of the few lands he received from the Emperor, so he’s making a significant concession.’ Offering his own territory to the barbarians showed how desperate Kromen was.

‘But conversely, since even that was rejected, Tyren and young Kromen must be mentally strained.’ If Gordon signaled his intention to retreat, Kromen would want to return immediately. Manipulating a child’s mind was easy for Caryl.

“Are you disappointed?”

“Well… not really.”

“If we received that land, the water problem could be solved. But what kind of person is Tylan Schtean? He must be confident he can take it back at any time.”

Miliana’s face hardened. “…Why? Do you see it that way?”

“Doesn’t anything come to mind from what I said?” He paused. “Think about it the other way around. Tyren has given you a solution to the water problem. You don’t need to receive it. Just take it.”

“Crazy… Are you telling me to start a war with the Empire after calling off negotiations?”

“Someday.”

Miliana looked dumbfounded. “It’s your responsibility if Digon is destroyed.”

“Do you intend to fight?”

“No. I’m already pushing myself too hard because of you. I don’t care if you win over the four tribes of the Great Plains or the five great families of Narak Rock, but don’t involve Digon.”

“Thanks to me, we can have this conversation without fighting, isn’t that good? Since there’s a common enemy, we can look in the same direction.” Caryl said, sitting next to her. “It’s better to fight the Empire than to fight me.”

“That’s not confidence; that’s arrogance.”

“Really? I could prove it right now.”

“…” She retorted as if his words were absurd, but only twitched her lips.

“I’m just kidding. Anyway, even if this negotiation fails, Digon won’t be harmed.”

“You’re saying there’s no possibility the Empire will attack us?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“What trick did you pull this time?”

“A little one.”

Miliana shook her head, unable to win against Caryl’s firm answer. “How can you always speak so confidently?”

Caryl chuckled. “Well, the pride of a great power is important to the Empire. But even for the Empire, it’s hard to ignore the lives of 40,000 people and stubbornly insist on their way.”

“40,000 lives…?” Miliana looked at him.

“There’s something like that. So don’t worry. Unless I move, the Empire won’t attack, at least.”

Suddenly, her eyes widened as if she remembered something. She started to shout, but covered her mouth and said, “Don’t tell me… Are you the one who caused Crown Prince Luon to be defeated in the Twin Armor of the Istrian Three Kingdoms [a famous battle or event]?”

Caryl didn’t answer, but Miliana nodded, taking his silence as confirmation. “It’s sickening. The Empire’s two prominent princes ruined things in the south because of you.”

‘Not two, but three.’ Caryl smiled lightly.

If she knew Caryl was also behind the Sand Serpent that stopped Olivon, she would be shocked.

Miliana lay down on a large cushion, looking tired. “Well, if you say so, then that’s how it is. But Tyren told me something else.”

“What is it?”

“He said he could condone the Lionheart Knights raiding the five great families at the same time as promising territory.”

“Blackmail?”

“No, I guess you could say it’s the truth.” She scoffed disdainfully. “Everyone knows Olivon and you made a secret deal. Outwardly, the Lionheart Knights broke their contract with you and raided the five great families, and Digon is just claiming to be a victim because they didn’t know the truth.”

“Claiming…?” Caryl approached her.

“Honestly, it’s a situation where everyone is turning a blind eye for their own benefit. Everyone knows it, but they just can’t say it out loud, right?”

“Whatever the case, be careful of Tyren. Whether he’s turning a blind eye or not, as you said, he’s not just anyone if he can blackmail Digon like that.”

“He will grow more.”

“Could he become an obstacle for you?”

“You never know, because the sight he’s about to see will be quite shocking.”

Caryl regretted not seeing Tyren’s face when he returned from Digon.

‘Yes, Tyren, you will grow. But you’ll have a lot of heartache because of this. But you have to endure this much. How much did you exploit me?’ He was the one who made his past life suffer terribly.

As his words led numerous battles to victory, Chancellor Tyren McGovern coldly used Caryl.

Of course,

I don’t resent that.

It was an understandable situation.

I’m just a little sad that I missed the rare opportunity to see a once-in-a-lifetime genius looking distressed.

“What happens next? Is it related to going to meet Gordon Fabian?”

“That’s right.”

“Looking at you, it’s like you’re living with your life on the line.”

“Is the great empress worried about me?”

“Worried? My face still hurts from being slammed into the floor by you.”

It was then.

Caryl, who was standing behind her, approached and brought his hand to her cheek as she lay there.

“W-What is it?”

Surprised, Miliana quickly turned her head.

“Stay still.”

Caryl grabbed her chin and examined both cheeks.

It might look a little comical, but she, who was called the Overlord of the South, was somehow as docile as a lamb.

“…….”

For some reason, her face felt hot.

How long had it been?

The awkward time seemed to pass slowly, each minute and second dragging on, and Miliana didn’t know how to react, so she just stared at Caryl.

It was then.

“No wounds, huh? I guess your skin is tough.”

Miliana’s expression changed completely at Caryl’s assessment, which was hard to tell if it was a joke or not.

“Skin? How dare you say such nonsense! It’s because I used a protection spell.”

“That protection magic wasn’t that great.”

“Shut up.”

At his words, Miliana twitched her lips and flicked Caryl’s hand that was holding her chin, thinking,

‘Here I am, humoring his ridiculous jokes…….’

From what she heard, he was just a kid who was only 14 years old.

Despite the ten-year age difference, he naturally spoke informally in every sentence, and his occasional tone and behavior made her forget that he was a child.

Watching Caryl get up with a strange smile that revealed nothing, she thought,

‘I’m going crazy.’

Miliana unknowingly brought the back of her hand to her burning cheek.

“What about Randol? Did he go back with Kroman?”

“He stayed. From your question, I guess you didn’t expect that.”

“Of course. I’m not a god.”

Caryl shook his head at Miliana’s words.

“I thought it would be nice if he stayed, but I don’t know his heart.”

“Seriously, how can someone who sees the big picture so clearly not predict one person’s thoughts?”

Caryl chuckled at her words.

“The big picture is just a big trend. Once you open the floodgates, it’s bound to be swept away by the current, so prediction and planning are possible. But it’s easy to know ten fathoms of water, but hard to know one fathom of a man’s heart [meaning it’s easy to understand the obvious, but hard to understand a person’s true feelings].”

“I don’t really see you that way.”

Miliana felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity from the way Caryl had treated her so far.

But that was something she couldn’t possibly know.

That in their past life, the two had spent years together through thick and thin.

But Randol is different.

Even before he died, they didn’t have any particular connection, and even in this life, after leaving the mansion, Caryl had no way of knowing the ideology that Randol now holds.

‘Besides his talent with the sword, what I expect from him is that he is a commoner, not a noble.’

“How much of Digon’s swordsmanship has he learned?”

“All the basics. Actually, now is the time to worry. I taught him at your request, but anything more than this is difficult unless he becomes a member of the clan.”

“That’s enough. If he says he wants to become a member of Digon, then teach him the essence.”

“Do you think he will become a member of our clan?”

“Tyren as well, but what happens in the Vestal March will determine their future.”

Caryl’s eyes gleamed.

“Both of them will be one of the most needed people in a year. To do that, we need to break their loyalty to the prince.”

“A year later?”

“It’s something you don’t need to know yet.”

In the original history, the oracle is given a year later.

But with the imperial throne not even decided by Caryl, he wanted to test whether the oracle would be given as it was then.

‘If the oracle is given not in a year, but after the foundation of the empire is laid and the continent is unified…….’

If the oracle begins only after the foundation is laid for humanity to fight against corruption, then the appearance of Parel and the battle against corruption may all be reflections of God’s will.

‘If even creating Parel, not the oracle, is the work of you, Yula, then this life, where I am the leader of humanity, will not flow in the direction you want.’

Caryl thought.

“Keep Randol here for the time being. He will tell you that he wants to leave soon. He will leave Digon to find me.”

“Do we really have to make it this complicated? I don’t understand what you’re trying to do.”

“A dramatic situation requires direction. Just wait a little. I’ll show you something quite interesting.”

Caryl paused for a moment.

Then, as if telling something important, he put strength into each word and said.

“Got it? What I just said. Don’t forget it. If you remember and see it, you’ll be able to enjoy the stage I’m going to create.”

As the corners of Caryl’s mouth went up, Miliana began to fear what he would do when he smiled.

“Then what about our deal?”

“I’m going to finish that today anyway. I have to leave Digon tomorrow.”

“Today? Is that possible in one day?”

“It won’t even take a day. Right now, you have three meridians open, but the magic power in your magic core is woefully insufficient compared to that.”

Miliana nodded at his words.

“But that’s not true. In fact, dragon magic power is much denser than existing magic power. It may have weakened over the generations, but it’s still strong enough.”

Caryl shrugged lightly.

“Of course, you don’t have as much magic power as I do, but.”

“……So?”

“What you lack is meridians. If four meridians, which can be said to be the standard of a Sword Master, are opened and the circulation of magic power in your body is smooth, you can become stronger than you are now.”

She, who had been listening intently, smiled bitterly at Caryl’s words.

“Who doesn’t know that opening the meridians can lead to higher realms? I can’t do it because there’s no way.”

“I know that way.”

“What?”

Caryl said nonchalantly.

“It’s impossible to open all the meridians, but it’s possible to open at least one meridian. If you use a special magic power called Secret Power.”

At that moment,

Purple magic power slowly condensed and began to gather in his hand.

“It’s a good thing. I have that Secret Power. You can trust me. I opened my meridians with the same power.”

Miliana looked at Caryl’s magic power with an interested look.

“Besides, you’re lucky. Because the one who transfers the magic power is not a ghost, but a kind human like me.”

Caryl said quietly.